Petunia plant named ‘SUNMOMOHEART’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunmomoheart’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; flowers that are white in color with pink-colored heart-shaped pattern; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNMOMOHEART’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sunmomoheart’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new vigorous and mounding Petuniaplants with numerous unique and attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in September, 2012 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietaryselection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code designation PY-293-1,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryselection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code designation PY-293-2,not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in October, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by vegetative terminalcuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga,Japan since November, 2013 has shown that the unique features of thisnew Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural conditions. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunmomoheart’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunmomoheart’ as a new and distinct Petuniaplant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Flowers that are white in color with pink-colored        heart-shaped pattern.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the parentselections. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants ofthe parent selections in flower color pattern as plants of the parentselections have flowers with a star-shaped pattern. In addition, plantsof the male parent selection have white and lighter pink-colored flowersthan plants of the new Petunia.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 13/998,606. In side-by-side comparisons, plants ofthe new Petunia and ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’ differ primarily in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more mounding than and not as        creeping as plants of ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have shorter leaves with shorter        petioles than plants of ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’ differ in        flower color pattern as plants of ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’ have        flowers with a star-shaped pattern.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia have smaller sepals than plants of        ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’.    -   5. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter peduncles than plants        of ‘Daiichi-MP22-253-2’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunmomoheart’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunmomoheart’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late summer in 15-cmcontainers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and undercultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and nighttemperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were six months old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Sunmomoheart’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code designation PY-293-1, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code designation PY-293-2, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at            temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and            winter.—About three weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and mounding plant            habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches            developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch            development; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 55 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 30 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.1 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Aspect.—Mostly outwardly.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.        -   Color.—Close to 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.65 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; viscid.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 138A; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,            close to 144A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.8 mm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; viscid. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single-type salverform flowers            arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with            usually about 131 flowers developing per plant during the            flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Petunia initiate            and develop flowers about seven weeks after planting; long            flowering period, flowering commences naturally during the            spring and plants flower continuously throughout the summer            until late autumn in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten            days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Close to 145C; towards the apex,            close to 68D.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4.4 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 3.65 cm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 2.25 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 2.2 mm.        -   Flower tube diameter, distally.—About 8 mm.        -   Corolla.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl,            fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal            length from throat: About 1.6 cm. Petal width: About 1.7 cm.            Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Mucronate to            truncate. Petal margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal            texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; matte. Throat texture: Pubescent. Tube texture:            Pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close            to NN155B; heart-shaped pattern, close to 68D. Petal, when            opening, lower surface: Close to NN155B; heart-shaped            pattern, close to 56A. Petal, fully opened, upper surface:            Close to NN155B; heart-shaped pattern, close to 63C;            venation, close to N144D; color does not change with            development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to            NN155D; heart-shaped pattern, close to 62B. Throat:            Proximally, close to 145D; distally, close to 150D;            venation, close to 145B. Tube: Proximally, close to 145D;            distally, close to NN155B to NN155C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal            length: About 9.5 mm. Sepal width: About 1.7 mm. Sepal            shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire.            Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; viscid.            Color, upper surface: Close to 137C. Color, lower surface:            Close to 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.            Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.            Texture: Pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.            Filament length: About 1.5 cm. Filament color: Close to            157D. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 1.7 mm            by 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 4D. Pollen amount: Moderate.            Pollen color: Close to NN155C. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style color: Close to 144D.            Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close            to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Seeds and fruits: Seed            and fruit development have not been observed on plants of            the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Sunmomoheart’as illustrated and described.